Backyard Harvest

Why is it called passionfruit I wonder? I guess it is rather exquisite and a bit fancy as far as fruit goes. Perhaps because it is a very colourful arrangement -pretty to look at along with a unique and explosive flavour... We grow it and I'm glad because I like it and it is very expensive to buy - even when in season. I saw it at Pak n Save yesterday at $26.99 a kilo!

On the other hand, at this time of year we have the mighty marrow. How does this ugly monstrosity start out as a delicate flower to fill with soft cheese and fry in a fine batter? I have done it before but was too slow to undertake such a scheme this year - I only dreamed of it. The flower then becomes a sweet little shiny green zucchini (sounds exotic) to slice in a pan with a splash of balsamic to serve as a side or include in a stir-fry. Then what seems like overnight it suddenly becomes this trifid-like creeping plant producing massive green logs that lurk under their huge umbrella leaves! Mmmm what to do with the Marrow Mountain that Darling Man has delivered to my kitchen?

With many other homey-jobs to catch up on yesterday I chose to ignore it. Not my problem I thought. Don't want to know. Give them away. Compost them. Bring me a sun-drenched strawberry or plum, peel me a grape even but don't lumber me with marrows!!!! Please!

Anyway dinner rolled around and I got all inspired and cut one of the smaller ones long-ways, scraped out the seeds and rubbed the cavity with our lovely fresh garlic and filled it with kumara, red onion and bacon mash, topped it with a herby crust and baked the blessed thing! An ordinary marrow suddenly became something quite stunning served with salad and Darling Man's Tomato Relish.

'Marrow Dressed to Kill'  - make it up as you go along -

So 'Passionfruit & White Chocolate Cake' - I saw it on the internet (no picture included), printed off the recipe but stalled on actually making it - I was thinking to myself - how could that work???

Anyway I finally took the plunge and it is definitely a keeper. It is firmly pasted into my recipe folder and I have already made it a second time. I only paste in when I know it works and will potentially return to make it again. It gets an extra tick because it's a one bowl affair and I can throw it in the oven during dinner time preps. Easy peasy. You might like to try it too - especially if you have a vine of your own or a ready supply.

Passionfruit & White Chocolate Cake

125gms butter
150gms White Chocolate melts
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup coconut
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup passionfruit pulp
Icing sugar to dust

Heat oven to 180 deg C. Line a 20 x 20cm (or a 17 x 27cm) slice tin with non-stick baking paper. Place butter and white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and melt in microwave or over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth.
Stir caster sugar into melted chocolate mixture. Next, stir in coconut, then eggs. Stir in sifted flour and baking powder and lastly fold in the passionfruit pulp.
Pour the mixture into prepared slice tin and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until firm. Cool in tin, then remove and slice into bars or squares. Dust with Icing Sugar to serve.

PS - Whilst pasting in this recipe I found one for Chocolate & Zucchini Cake - I vaguely remember making it at some stage - oh well it must have made the cut! Another mighty marrow bites the dust - although it does say 2 medium zucchini - we might be a bit past that by now!